Leave No Trace on Colorado River Rafting Trips

Take only pictures, leave only footprints

At Hatch River Expeditions, we take great pride in doing all we can to keep the Grand Canyon, and all wilderness we encounter, as pristine as possible. We are so grateful to be able to call the Grand Canyon our office, and feel great protectiveness over her. To align with this duty of land stewardship, we follow the “Leave No Trace” principles. We’re happy to partner with the Leave No Trace organization, which publishes a framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors.

Below we have highlighted just some of our practices here at Hatch River Expeditions. Our guides will be sure to educate you on these methods on your next river trip! We also encourage guests to take these tactics home and practice Leave No Trace in their daily and outdoor lives. 

The Seven Leave No Trace Principles

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impact
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Others

How Hatch Practices Leave No Trace

• Encourage guests to choose products that will minimize detrimental impacts to Canyon ecosystems, such as reef safe sunscreen and biodegradable soap.
• Do not use soap in any side streams which have especially susceptible habitats. 
• Minimize impacts on campsites by instructing guests not to camp too near or trample desert and pre-dam riparian plant communities and to focus activity on sandbar areas. 
• Select landing locations to minimize riverbank and vegetation impacts.
• Restrict off-river hiking to maintained trails only.
• Pack out all human waste and dispose of it properly. Guests get to know the groover relatively quickly.
• Engage guests to patrol campsites and day stops for micro-trash prior to leaving and to dispose of trash in biodegradable, reusable bags, secured to the boat.
• Reduce trash by using multi-use water bottles and dishware. We do not provide napkins to reduce the change of them blowing away and littering the Canyon. (We recommend bringing a bandana to use as your napkin.)
• Collect all trash and separate between recycling and trash. (We recommend cans for beverages like sodas or beer because they compact and recycle well.)
• Take only pictures and leave only footprints. Fossils, rocks, and artifacts are left for everyone to enjoy.

This list includes just some of the best practices for Leave No Trace ethics on Hatch River Expeditions rafting trips. We do our very best to make sure generations to come can visit and appreciate the beauty of this place we love so dearly. For more information or to see what you can do or tips to implement at home, check out Leave No Trace.

Join a 2024 or 2025 trip to experience the magic of the Grand Canyon for yourself!